Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard has announced a new public transport brand for the region alongside a long-term strategy to improve local services.
The initiative, known as the South Yorkshire People’s Network, is intended to bring together buses, trams and other modes under a single identity. It forms part of a wider transport vision led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, focusing on improving coordination, accessibility and affordability across the network, with bus services ultimately returning to public control.
The plan seeks to address longstanding concerns about service reliability, fares and route coverage. The strategy sets out six guiding principles, including improving connections between communities, prioritising passengers, and ensuring services are safe and straightforward to use.
The programme is supported by funding of around 1.5 billion GBP. This includes 630 million GBP allocated to the renewal of the region’s tram system and 350 million GBP for changes to bus services. Tram operations have already returned to public control, and bus franchising is due to begin in stages from 2027.
The transport vision also links to wider infrastructure plans. These include the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, investment in rail through Northern Powerhouse Rail, and further support for walking, cycling and road safety measures.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:Transport isn’t just about getting from A to B. A proper public transport network gives people real freedom and choice about how they travel and move, connects people to opportunity and opens up new horizons.
But public transport in South Yorkshire has been broken for too long. I promised to make change happen, to give South Yorkshire back the world class public transport system we once had, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
That’s why we’re putting in a huge investment to fix our public transport system, backed by even greater ambition, so that we can build something that truly works for all of us across South Yorkshire; a real People’s Network.
The new branding draws on South Yorkshire’s industrial background, with colours and design elements referencing the region’s manufacturing history. It will be introduced gradually, appearing on stops, shelters, vehicles and staff uniforms over the coming years. A new website is expected to replace existing travel information services by the end of the year.
Planned developments in the near term include the opening of a tram-train station at Magna, refurbishment of bus and tram stops, and the introduction of integrated ticketing across different modes. New e-bike schemes are also scheduled to launch, alongside proposals to extend free travel for under-18s across the region.
Bus franchising is expected to start in Doncaster and Sheffield in 2027, with coverage expanding to all four South Yorkshire boroughs by 2029. The region has recently opened the bidding process for a fleet of new publicly owned buses.
Longer-term plans outlined in the strategy include additional rail services between Sheffield and Leeds, upgrades to stations in Sheffield and Doncaster, and potential extensions to the tram network. Further ahead, proposals include improved links between Sheffield and Manchester and step-free access at all rail stations in the region.
